Accuracy of medial tibiofemoral joint space palpation among second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students using ultrasound verification: an observational study

Palpation skills are universally taught in physical therapy education programs worldwide. Accurate palpation is necessary for diagnosis and to guide interventional approaches. The primary purpose of this investigation was to measure ultrasonographic-confirmed palpation accuracy of the medial TFJ space among second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students examining participants with characteristics representative of patients seen in clinical practice.

This investigation provides original data of USI-confirmed palpation skills among second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students examining participants with characteristics representative of patients seen in clinical practice. This is the first study to describe Doctor of Physical Therapy students’ competency in locating the medial TFJ space. While examiner palpation accuracy was generally low in this investigation, our results matched or exceeded those from previous studies utilizing physician residents and Master of Physiotherapy students with nearly identical directional bias for failed palpations. These results may help inform instructional approaches and curricular design in physical therapy education. While encouraging results have been reported utilizing USI as an adjunctive tool for improving clinical examination skills of students and residents in graduate medical education, further research is needed to determine the value of including USI-assisted training in physical therapy education, including dose and timing within the curriculum.